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创世记生命读经 · 第65篇

有天然弱点如亚伯拉罕，且活在天然生命里如雅各

Having Natural Weakness As Abraham And Living In The Natural Life As Jacob
1在前两篇关于以撒的信息里，我们看过以撒是恩典的承受者，并且一生都是安息和享受。现在我们必须来看这个享受恩典的人，仍然有天然的弱点和天然的生命。这点我们很难了解。按照我们天然的宗教观念，总以为我们若是天然的，就不能享受恩典。按照我们宗教的观念，享受恩典是根据我们属灵的程度。特别在我们对亲友或儿女的教导和劝勉里，我们说，我们必须良善才能享受恩典；我们若不良善，我们就和神的恩典无分。我们都以为要享受神的恩典必须属灵。可能我们中间没有人想过，有分于神的恩典并不根据我们的属灵。
1In the past two messages concerning Isaac, we have seen that he was the heir of grace and that he rested and enjoyed throughout his entire life. Now we must see that with this grace-enjoying person there were still the natural weakness and the natural life. It is difficult for us to understand this point. According to our natural, religious concept, we always think that if we are natural, we cannot have the enjoyment of grace. According to our religious concept, the enjoyment of grace depends upon how spiritual we are. In our teachings and exhortations, especially to our relatives and children, we say that in order to enjoy the grace of God we must be good, and that if we are not good, we are through with God’s grace. Probably none of us has ever thought that participating in the grace of God does not depend upon our being spiritual. On the contrary, we all have thought that we must be spiritual in order to enjoy the grace of God
2以撒是个享受神恩典的模型和榜样。整本圣经里几乎没有另一个人像以撒那样享受恩典。他终其一生不作别的，只享受神的恩典。他的一生就是享受恩典的一生。然而在以撒身上，我们看到与亚伯拉罕完全一样的天然弱点。不仅如此，在以撒身上我们也看到雅各的天然生命。他像雅各一样活在天然里。雅各照他天然的喜好爱他的儿子约瑟，（创三七3～4，）在家庭里引起了难处。约瑟的哥哥们恨他，因为父亲偏爱他。以撒也偏爱以扫，因为以扫善于打猎，能猎得以撒喜欢的野味。（创二五27～28。）因此，以扫是父亲的宠儿。由此我们看见，以撒和雅各就天然生命而论是一样的。你若说以撒没有骗过人，我要指出，他的妻子利百加是他骗人的助手。从一面说，以撒在抓夺的事上和雅各不同，但利百加补上了这缺口。每个妻子都是她丈夫的一部分。她是她丈夫的补全和完全。若没有利百加，以撒可能还不会是骗人的老手。但有了利百加，他的确变得和雅各一样。雅各从他那抓夺的母亲学得如何抓夺。他那抓夺的母亲是他父亲以撒抓夺这面的补全。所以在以撒身上，我们看见雅各天然的生命。
2Isaac was a model, a pattern, of the enjoyment of God’s grace. In the whole Bible there is hardly another person who enjoyed grace as much as Isaac did. Throughout his entire life Isaac did nothing except enjoy the grace of God. His life was a grace-enjoying life. Nevertheless, in Isaac we see exactly the same natural weakness as we saw in Abraham. Furthermore, in Isaac we also see the natural life of Jacob. Like Jacob, Isaac lived in a natural way. Jacob loved his son Joseph according to his natural taste (37:3-4), and this caused trouble in the family. Joseph’s brothers hated him because of his father’s partial love for him. Isaac also loved Esau partially, loving him because he was a skillful hunter and could obtain the venison which Isaac loved (25:27-28). Thus, Esau was a father’s boy. By this we see that Isaac and Jacob were the same as far as the natural life is concerned. If you say that Isaac did not cheat anyone, I would point out that his wife Rebekah was his cheating helper. In a sense, Isaac differed from Jacob in the matter of supplanting, but this gap was filled by Rebekah. Every wife is apart of her husband; she is her husband’s completion and perfection. Without Rebekah, Isaac probably would not have been an expert at cheating. But with Rebekah, he certainly became the same as Jacob. Jacob learned how to supplant from his supplanting mother, and his supplanting mother was the supplanting completion to his father Isaac. Therefore, in Isaac we see the natural life of Jacob.
3以撒是一个享受恩典的人。照我们天然的观念，一个有天然弱点，且活在天然生命里的人，绝不能享受神的恩典。这是我们的观念，这不是神的话。在圣经里，我们看不到以撒很属灵。他是一个仍有天然弱点，仍活在天然生命里的人。那么为甚么他这样享受神的恩典？只因神已这样命定。对我们基督徒来说，有神命定的一面。我们已经指出，享受神的恩典是我们的定命，这种定命远在创立世界以前就已豫定了。不要以为你若属灵，就有特权享受神的恩典；你若不属灵，就不能享受祂的恩典。这是宗教观念，圣经并没有这样教训。有人听说享受恩典不根据属灵，也许会说，『我们享受神的恩典若不需要属灵，那么就让我们不属灵罢！』不要这样说。属灵不属灵都不会帮助我们享受神的恩典，这完全是神的命定，并不在于我们的所是和所能。我们有以撒这一面。我们已经被神命定来享受恩典。我们属灵，不会更多享受恩典；我们不属灵，也不会失去神的恩典。但我们不该说，『让我们作恶以成善罢。』不要浪费时间想要属灵或不属灵，只要说，『主阿，因著你的命定我敬拜你。你已经命定我来享受恩典。』至少我们都是以撒的一部分，在我们里面有一面已经被神命定来享受祂的恩典。甚么时候我们更多享受恩典－是你觉得在神眼中很属灵很好的时候，还是你下沉，觉得完全不配的时候？当我下沉的时候，我享受恩典最多。但我们不该说，『让我们下沉罢，这样我们可以享受恩典最多。』你若想这样作就不灵。我再说，这不是根据我们，乃是根据神的命定。我希望我的话既不鼓励你属灵，也不鼓励你不属灵。我乃是希望鼓励你成为无有。但不要努力成为无有，因为你的努力仍然是有些甚么。你若能说，『我要回家，把一切都忘掉。』那就好极了。
3Isaac was a grace-enjoying person. According to our natural concept, a person who has a natural weakness and who lives in the natural life can never enjoy the grace of God. This is our concept; it is not God’sword. In the Bible, we cannot see that Isaac was very spiritual. He was a man who still had a natural weakness and who still lived in the natural life. Why then did he have such an enjoyment of God’s grace? Simply because God had ordained it that way. With us Christians, there is the aspect of God’so rd i nation. As we have already pointed out, it is our destiny to enjoy the grace of God. This destiny was preordained before the foundation of the world. Do not think that if you are spiritual, you are privileged to enjoy God’s grace and that if you are not spiritual, you cannot enjoy His grace. This is a religious concept, and the Bible does not teach this. After hearing that enjoying grace does not depend upon our being spiritual, some may say, “If we don’t need to be spiritual to enjoy God’s grace, then let us be unspiritual.” Do not say this. Neither being spiritual nor being unspiritual will help us to enjoy God’s grace. It is entirely a matter of God’s ordination, and it does not depend on what we are nor on what we can do. With us, there is the aspect of Isaac. We have been ordained by God to the enjoyment of grace. If we are spiritual, we shall not enjoy grace more, and if we are unspiritual we shall not miss the grace of God. But we should not say, “Let us do evil that good may come.” Do not waste your time trying to be spiritual or trying to be unspiritual. Simply say, “O Lord, I worship You for Your ordination. You have ordained me to the enjoyment of grace.” At the least, we all are a part of Isaac. In our being there is the aspect of having been ordained by God to the enjoyment of His grace. When do you enjoy grace more—when you feel that you are spiritual and good in the eyes of God, or when you are down and feel that you are absolutely unworthy? I have enjoyed grace the most when I have been down. But we should not say, “Let us be down that we may enjoy grace the most.” If you try to do this, it will not work. Again I say that it does not depend upon us but upon God’so rd i nation. I hope that my word will encourage you neither to be spiritual nor to be unspiritual. Rather, I hope that it will encourage you to be nothing. But do not try to be nothing, for your trying is still something. If you could say, “I’ll go home and forget everything,” that would be wonderful.
4在以撒一生的记载里，我们看见一个在各面都享受神恩典的人。你相信这样享受神恩典的人，仍会有天然的弱点，明明的说谎么？他说谎牺牲他的妻子。也许我们会说，『我若是这样的人，我绝不会那样说谎。』不要这样说。也许我们享受更多的恩典，却比以撒更明白的说谎。
4In the record of Isaac’s life we see a person who enjoyed God’s grace in every way. Do you believe that a man who had such an enjoyment of God’s grace could still have the natural weakness of lying in a substantial way? He lied in the way of sacrificing his wife. Perhaps we would say, “If I were such a person, I would never lie in that way.” Do not say this. We may enjoy even more grace and then lie more substantially than Isaac did.
5看看你的经历。你虽然从未说谎牺牲你的妻子，但你已明明的向你妻子说谎。早年我很受宗教观念的影响，相信基督徒（尤其所谓属灵的基督徒）绝不会说谎。最后，我发现基督徒（包括所谓属灵的人）也说谎。不仅属世的人说谎，基督徒和属灵的人也说谎。这是堕落人类的光景。那么我们怎么办？我们甚么都不该作。神已经把我们从堕落人类中拣选出来，祂的命定已经临到我们。这不是说，我们若在神眼中为人正当，或成为属灵，那时我们会接受更多的恩典。以撒从未自己努力作好，或成为属灵，但他仍不断享受恩典。我不鼓励你虔诚或不虔诚。我不鼓励你成为甚么，因为享受神的恩典并不根据我们的属灵。以撒要祝福他儿子以扫，然而他把祝福和天然的喜好混杂在一起。创世记二十七章三至四节，以撒对以扫说，『现在拿你的器械，就是箭囊，和弓，往田野去为我打猎；照我所爱的作成美味，拿来给我吃，使我在未死之先，我的魂好祝福你。』（另译。）以撒似乎说，『以扫，在我未死之先，我要再吃一次野味。你若为我作些野味来，我就为你祝福。』这里我们看见以撒把神的祝福和他天然的喜好混杂在一起。虽然我们会希奇这样的人怎能祝福别人，但以撒的确祝福了。以撒不像我们一样虔诚，他不觉得这样作不属灵。假定你是父亲，要给你的一个儿子祝福，我相信你会非常小心儆醒，祷告禁食，不敢在肉体里说话，也不敢按照天然的喜好说话。你若是个中国弟兄，你绝不会对你即将祝福的儿子说，『儿子，到唐人街去为我买点中国食品，然后我要祝福你。』没有一位中国弟兄敢这样作，因为我们都虔诚的觉得要属灵。我们会说，『既然我即将祝福我的儿子，我就必须与主同在，不可有我天然的喜好。』然而以撒很大胆，他告诉以扫：『在我未死之先，我要再吃一次野味。去拿些我喜爱的野味给我，我要祝福你。』以撒很诚实，他说，『我的魂好祝福你。』（创二七，另译。）这是何等的混杂！不断的享受神恩典的以撒，竟盲目的祝福。但他是在信心里祝福，并且他的祝福被神尊重。（来十一20。）
5Consider your experience. Although you have never lied in sacrificing your wife, you have lied substantially to your wife. In my early years, I was much affected by religious concepts, believing that Christians, especially the so-called spiritual Christians, would never lie. Eventually, I discovered that Christians, including the so-called spiritual ones, also lie. Not only the worldly people lie; the Christians and the spiritual people also lie. This is the condition of the fallen race. What then shall we do? We should not do anything. God has selected us out of this fallen race, and His ordination has come to us. This does not mean that when we behave ourselves or become spiritual in the eyes of God, we shall then receive more grace. Although Isaac never tried to behave himself or to be spiritual, he continually enjoyed grace. I do not encourage you to be religious or to be unreligious. I do not encourage you to be anything, for the enjoyment of God’s grace does not depend upon our being spiritual. Isaac wanted to bless his son Esau. However, he mixed the blessing with his natural taste. In 27:3 and 4, Isaac said to Esau, “Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison; and make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.” Isaac seemed to be saying, “Esau, before I die, I would like to eat venison one more time. If you get some venison for me, then I shall bless you.” Here we see that Isaac mixed up God’s blessing with his natural taste. Although we may wonder how such a person could bless others, Isaac did bless. Isaac, who was not religious like we are, was not conscious of being unspiritual. Suppose you are a father who wants to give a blessing to one of his sons. I believe that you would be very cautious and alert, praying, fasting, and daring not to speak in the flesh nor according to your natural taste. If you were a Chinese brother, you certainly would not say to the son whom you are about to bless, “Son, go to Chinatown and get some Chinese food for me and then I’ll bless you.” No Chinese brother would dare to do this, because we are all so religiously conscious of being spiritual. We all would say, “Now that I am about to bless my son I must be with the Lord and not have my natural taste.” Isaac, however, was bold, telling Esau, “Before I die I would like to eat venison once more. Get me the venison that I love and I’ll bless you.” Isaac was honest, saying, “My soul may bless thee” (27:4). 4 What a mixture! Isaac, who continually enjoyed the grace of God, blessed blindly. But he blessed in faith, and his blessing was honored by God (Heb. 11:20).
6我年轻时读这段圣经，无法懂得如何会有这么多的混杂。我说，『以撒，你在作甚么？你若要吃野味，就不要谈祝福。你不该把你天然的喜好和神的祝福混在一起。神怎能尊重这混杂著天然喜好的祝福？』当以撒坦白的告诉以扫，假如以扫为他豫备野味，他就要祝福以扫时，他不觉得要虔诚，他完全在宗教之外。在他的观念里没有宗教。我们若在那里，我们会说，『以撒，不要这样说，你若要有天然的喜好，就不要谈神的祝福。神绝不会尊重你的祝福。以撒，你完全错了。』然而以撒会说，『你们在讲甚么？我从未听过这样的宗教说法，我没有这观念，我一点没有要虔诚的感觉。我只知道两件事－我要满足我的口味，以及我要祝福我的儿子。我吃了一些肉以后，就要祝福我的儿子。我不知道属灵或虔诚是甚么意思，我只知道我是父亲，他是我的儿子，而大的总是祝福小的。』当我年轻时，对这点很感困扰，无法懂得为甚么以撒享受了这么多神的恩典，仍有与亚伯拉罕同样的天然弱点，以及与雅各同样的天然生命。我们需要非常清楚的看见两点：第一，恩典并不根据我们的所是。我们好或坏，属灵或不属灵，都算不得甚么。因神已命定我们成为祂恩典的对象，恩典临到我们，我们无法拒绝。第二，我们题过几次，亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各，在生命经历上不是三个分开的人，乃是代表一个完整人三方面的经历。这就是为何在以撒身上我们能看到亚伯拉罕和雅各。以撒有亚伯拉罕天然的弱点，和雅各天然的生命。
6When I read this portion of the Word as a young man, I was unable to understand how there could be so much mixture here. I said, “Isaac, what are you doing? If you want to eat venison, then don’t talk about blessing. You shouldn’t mix your natural taste with God’s blessing. How can God honor a blessing that is mixed with your natural taste?” When Isaac plainly told Esau that if he would prepare venison for him he would bless him, he was not conscious of being religious. He was altogether outside of religion. There was no religion in his concept. If we had been there, we would have said, “Isaac, don’t talk this way. If you want to have your natural taste, don’t talk about God’s blessing. God will never honor your blessing. Isaac, you are absolutely wrong.” But Isaac would have said, “What are you talking about? I have never heard such religious talk. I don’th ave this concept. I have no religious consciousness whatsoever. I only know two things—that I want to satisfy my taste and that I want to bless my son. After I eat some meat, I shall bless my son. I don’t know what it means to be spiritual or religious. I only know that I am the father, that he is my son, and that the greater always blesses the lesser.” When I was young, I was much troubled about this, being unable to understand how Isaac, who enjoyed so much of God’s grace, could still have the same natural weakness as Abraham and the same natural life as Jacob. We need to see two points very clearly. Firstly, grace is not based upon what we are. Whether we are good or bad, spiritual or unspiritual, means nothing. Because God has ordained us to be the object of His grace, grace comes to us, and we cannot reject it. Secondly, as we have mentioned several times, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are not three separate persons in the experience of life but represent three aspects of the experience of one complete person. This is why in Isaac we can see both Abraham and Jacob. Isaac had the natural weakness of Abraham and the natural life of Jacob
（三） 有天然弱点如亚伯拉罕
c. Having Natural Weakness as Abraham
7我们曾看过，以撒与亚伯拉罕有同样的天然弱点。（比较创二十1～2，11～。）你没有天然的弱点么？即使最有属灵感觉的人也有一些天然弱点。你有怎样的弱点？虽然我们都有一些天然弱点，但我们没有一个人能把牠指出来。我们知道我们有这样的弱点，但我们不明白那是甚么。你若确知某件事是你天然的弱点，那就不是你的弱点。以撒在创世记二十六章被暴露之前，可能从不知道他天然的弱点和亚伯拉罕的一样。他可能以为他的弱点是许多别的事情中的一件。但有一天他向南走，他天然的弱点就暴露出来了。
7As we have seen, Isaac had the same natural weakness as Abraham (cf. 20:1-2, 11-13). Do you not have a natural weakness? Even the most spiritually conscious person 13 has some natural weakness. What kind of weakness do you have? Although we all have some natural weakness, none of us can designate it. We know that we have such a weakness, but we do not know what it is. If you are certain that a particular matter is your natural weakness, that is not your weakness. Before Isaac was exposed in chapter twenty-six, he probably never realized that his natural weakness was the same as Abraham’s. He might have thought that his weakness was one of many other things. But one day he went southward and his natural weakness was exposed.
8我们靠自己绝不能知道自己天然的弱点；天然的弱点必须被暴露出来。我们没有一个人能明白他自己的弱点。你自己可能不知道你天然的弱点，但别人很清楚，因为那个弱点向他们是暴露的。谁与你同住一段时间，就会看到你天然的弱点。按照你的宗教观念，你若有某种天然弱点，你就与恩典无分了。但神的恩典仍与你同在。早期我也有这种想法，但我已经知道了，恩典不是根据我们的所是。每一个神施恩的对象都有弱点。不要以为使徒保罗没有弱点。彼得、约翰和保罗都有他们的弱点，但他们的弱点并不阻挠他们享受神的恩典。我们每个人都有自己天然的弱点。在历史上只有一个人没有天然的弱点，就是耶稣基督。我不是鼓励你属灵或不属灵，我是鼓励你放胆的享受神的恩典。不要让你的宗教观念夺去你对恩典的享受。放下你的观念，赞美主说，你是神施恩的对象。虽然我们不能指出我们天然的弱点，但我们确知我们有。别人，就如我们的妻子、丈夫或室友，都知道我们的弱点是甚么。别人知道，我们自己却很难知道。我们有的人可能要到见主面的时候，才知道自己天然的弱点。赞美主，我们看不到我们天然的弱点。我们若看到我们的弱点，就会受阻挠不能享受恩典。我不是鼓励你保留你天然的弱点，我是说不知道反而好。当我们觉得一种弱点，我们的宗教观念就阻挠我们享受恩典。然而当我们不知道我们的弱点，我们就只知道享受主的恩典。在创世记二十六章，以撒天然的弱点突然暴露，然而，那暴露没有阻挠他享受神的恩典。换句话说，以撒天然弱点的暴露，并没有妨碍他信靠神。
8By ourselves we can never know our natural weakness; it must be exposed. None of us is able to understand his own weakness. You yourself may not know your own natural weakness, but it is clear to everyone else because it has been exposed to them. Whoever would stay with you for a time would see your natural weakness. According to your religious concept, if you have some natural weakness, you should be through with grace. But God’s grace is still with you. In the early days I also had this thought. But I have learned that grace does not depend upon what we are. Every object of divine grace has a weak point. Do not think that the Apostle Paul had no weakness. Peter, John, and Paul all had their weaknesses, but their weak points did not frustrate them from enjoying God’s grace. Every one of us has his natural weakness. There has been only one person in history who had no natural weakness—Jesus Christ. I am not encouraging you to be either spiritual or unspiritual, but I am encouraging you to be bold in the enjoyment of grace. Do not be deprived of the enjoyment of grace by your religious concept. Drop your concept and praise the Lord that you are the object of divine grace. Although we are unable to designate our natural weakness, we do know that we have some. Others, such as our wife, husband, or roommates, know what our weakness is. While others know, it is difficult for us to know. Some of us may not know our natural weakness until we see the Lord face to face. Praise the Lord that we are blind to our natural weakness. If we were not blind to our weakness, we would be frustrated from enjoying grace. While I am not encouraging you to keep your natural weakness, I am saying that it is good that we are unaware of it. When we are conscious of a certain weakness, our religious concepts frustrate us from the enjoyment of grace. But when we do not know our weakness, we only know to enjoy the grace of the Lord. In Genesis 26, Isaac’s natural weakness was suddenly exposed. That exposure, however, did not frustrate him from the enjoyment of God’s grace. In other words, the exposure of Isaac’s natural weakness did not hinder him from trusting in God
9以撒离开别是巴，向南走下坡路，不是去埃及，乃是去了靠近埃及的地方。（创二六1～2。）神的心意是要祂的选民留在美地。每当神子民的天然弱点出现，他们总是走下坡路。我们找不到一个例子，当神的子民软弱时会向北走上坡路的。最坏的是下到埃及。这是亚伯拉罕所作的。（创十二。）亚伯拉罕第二次南下时，只走到非利士地，就是非利士人之地。（创二十1。）以撒重复亚伯拉罕走下坡的故事，向南走去时，神就干涉并警告他，说，『你不要下埃及去，要住在我所指示你的地。』（创二六2。）以撒可能打算下埃及，但神吩咐他要住在祂所指示的地。以撒虽然没有留在正确的地方，他仍然有平安享受神的恩典，他完全没有要虔诚的感觉。没有要虔诚的感觉是何等的好！然而仇敌一旦把一些东西注射到我们的知识里，就很难抽出来。在本篇信息里我的负担是要告诉你们，享受神的恩典不是根据我们的虔诚。在以撒身上我们看见一个完全不虔诚的人；但他一直享受神的恩典。以撒不但没有留在正确的地方；他还说谎牺牲他的妻子，（创二六6～7，）如同亚伯拉罕所作的。但他和他的妻子都蒙神主宰的看顾所保守。（创二六8～11。）神的恩典保守他，不至于牺牲了妻子。
9Isaac, leaving Beer - sheba, journeyed downward, southward, not to Egypt but to a place close to Egypt (26:1-2). God’sin tent i on was that His chosen people stay in the good land. Whenever the natural weakness of His people arose, they always went downward. We cannot find one instance in which God’sp eople went upward, northward, when they were weak. The worst thing to do was to go downward to Egypt. This is what Abraham did (12:10). The second time Abraham went southward he 10 only went as far as Philistia, the land of the Philistines (20:1). As Isaac, who was repeating Abraham’s downward story, was going southward, God intervened and warned him, saying, “Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of” (26:2). Isaac’sin tent i on might have been to god own into Egypt, but God commanded him to dwell in the land of which He would tell him. Although Isaac did not stay in exactly the right place, he still had peace in enjoying God’s grace. He was absolutely unconscious of being religious. How good it is to have no sense of being religious! However, once the enemy has injected something into our knowledge, it is very difficult to extract it. My burden in this message is to tell you that the enjoyment of God’s grace does not depend upon our being religious. In Isaac we see a person who was not at all religious; yet he enjoyed the grace of God all the time. Isaac not only did not stay in the right place; he also lied at the sacrifice of his wife (26:6-7) just as Abraham did. However, he and his wife were preserved by God’ss ove reign care (26:8-11). It was God’s grace that kept him from the sacrifice of his wife.
（四） 活在天然生命里如雅各
d Living In The Natural Life As Jacob
10以撒不仅有天然的弱点，也有天然的生命。他仍然活在天然的生命里。他并不是一直过著所谓属灵的生活。以撒祷告之后，神给了他两个儿子－以扫和雅各。以撒爱以扫，因为以扫善于打猎，以撒常吃他打来的野昧。（创二五27～28。）以撒爱长子完全是在天然的生命里，照著他天然的喜好，像雅各爱约瑟一样。（创三七3～4。）因著丈夫率先偏爱，妻子就跟著偏爱。以扫是善于打猎的人。是父亲的宠儿；雅各是安静的人，住在帐棚里，是母亲的宠儿。每一个母亲都爱安静留在她身边的孩子。没有一个母亲会爱成天迷在运动里的野孩子。在以撒的家里，父亲偏爱以扫，母亲偏爱雅各。这是怎样的生活？这是属灵的生活，复活的生活么？不。这虽然不是罪恶的生活，却是天然的生活。我们不该以为我们不同，因为每一个作父母的都有一点偏爱。你若有几个儿女，你会照你的喜好多爱其中的一个，所有的儿女也知道你偏爱谁。这种偏爱不是照著我们的灵；乃是照著我们天然的喜好。我们爱某一个儿子或女儿，因为他或她很合我们天然的喜好。这是天然的生命。
10In Isaac there was not only the natural weakness but also the natural life. He still lived in the natural life. He did not live a so-called spiritual life all the time. After Isaac prayed, God gave him two sons, Esau and Jacob. Isaac loved Esau because he was a skillful hunter and Isaac “did eat of his venison” (25:27-28). Isaac’s love for his firstborn son was altogether in the natural life according to his natural taste, as was Jacob’s love for Joseph (37:3-4). Since the husband took the lead to have a partial love, the wife followed. Esau, a “skillful hunter” (Heb.), was a father’s boy, and Jacob, a “quiet man” who dwelt in tents (Heb.), was a mother’s boy. Every mother loves a child who quietly stays around her. No mother would love a wild child who enjoys sports all day long. In Isaac’s family, the father had a partial love for Esau, and the mother had a partial love for Jacob. What kind of life was this? Was it a spiritual life, a resurrection life? No, although it was not a sinful life, it was a natural life. We should not think that we are different, for every parent has some partial love. If you have several children, you will love one of them more than the others according to your taste, and all your children will know who is the object of your partial love. This partial love is not according to our spirit; it is according to our natural taste. We love a particular boy or girl because he or she suits our natural taste. This is the natural life.
11天然的生命总是引起麻烦。以撒家中的偏爱带来了抓夺。利百加要她心爱的儿子得到祝福。在创世记二十七章我们看见，她是一个抓夺的能手。（创二七5～7。）她教导雅各如何抓夺。在创世记三十章雅各欺骗他舅父拉班夺取羊群，（创三十31～43，）创世记二十七章在原则上也是一样。利百加豫备了美味，并且把山羊皮包在雅各的手上和颈项上。当以撒摸他的时候，他说，『声音是雅各的声音，手却是以扫的手。』（创二七22。）这里我们看见雅各抓夺的技巧是他母亲教的，而他母亲是他父亲的一部分。在某种意义上，母亲欺骗了父亲，意思就是一个人的第二部分欺骗了他的第一部分。这样的家庭一切的骗局都是自欺。至终，家中每个人都受了骗。当我读本章时，我说，『利百加，你以为你很聪明，实在你很笨。你不知道神已经命定雅各为老大么？用不著你帮忙。』利百加想要帮助她儿子，反而失去了他。创世记没有告诉我们利百加活了多久，她可能在雅各从拉班家回来之前就死了。这就是说，利百加因著欺骗，失去了她的儿子。利百加可能再没有见到她的儿子。她以为帮助了她的儿子，实际上因著她的抓夺，反而失去了他。像以撒这样的人仍有这样的天然弱点，仍活在这样的天然生命里，这是难以相信的。以撒因著他天然的生命而受苦。（创二六34～35，二七41～46，二八6～9。）以撒虽然一直享受恩典，但在生活中有受苦的一面。以撒和利百加都因活在天然里而受苦，因为以扫的妻子，常使他们灵里愁烦。（创二六34～35，另译。）因著这家庭里的偏爱，以扫恨雅各，要杀他。利百加听到这消息，就告诉雅各逃往舅父那里，同他住些日子，直等以扫的怒气消了。但利百加却告诉以撒另外的故事，（创二七46，）她似乎说，『以扫的妻子使我们的灵这么愁烦，雅各若娶这样的妻子，我真受不了啦。我们应该把他打发出去娶一个妻子。』利百加用两种不同的方式说同一件事。每个聪明的妻子都会这样作，用两种方式述说同一个故事。就像今天许多作妻子的一样，利百加用真话向以撒说谎。她的心意是要把雅各打发走，免得以扫害他，但她并不这样告诉以撒。相反的，她说她厌烦了外邦媳妇，不要雅各娶这样的妻子，她建议以撒把雅各打发走，从他们的本族中娶一个妻子。照她的心意来说，这是谎言；然而，照她的话来说，这是真话。这惹来了痛苦。
11The natural life always causes trouble. Out of this partial love in Isaac’s family came the need of supplanting. Rebekah wanted her beloved son to receive the blessing. In chapter twenty-seven we see that she was very capable of supplanting (vv. 5-7). She taught Jacob how to supplant. In chapter thirty Jacob tricked his uncle Laban in the matter of the cattle (vv. 31-43). The principle is the same in chapter twenty-seven. Rebekah prepared savory meat and put goat skins on Jacob’s hands and neck. When Isaac felt him, this caused him to say, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau” (27:22). Here we see that Jacob was taught the supplanting skill by his mother, who was a part of his father. In a sense, the mother cheated the father, meaning that the second part of a person cheated the first part of the same person. All such family cheating is self-cheating. Eventually, everyone in the family was cheated. When I was reading this chapter, I said, “Rebekah, you thought you were smart. Actually you were stupid. Didn’ty ou know that God had ordained Jacob to be the first? There was no need for you to help.” Rebekah, who tried to help her son, lost him. Genesis does not tell us how long Rebekah lived. She might have died before Jacob returned from Laban’sho me. This means that Rebekah lost her son by cheating. Rebekah probably did not live to see her son Jacob again. She thought that she was helping him; actually, because of her supplanting, she lost him. It is difficult to believe that a person like Isaac could still have such a natural weakness and still live in such a natural life. Isaac suffered because of his natural life (26:34-35; 27:41-46; 28:6-9). Although Isaac was always enjoying grace, there was an aspect of suffering in his life. Both Isaac and Rebekah suffered because they lived in a natural way, for Esau’s wives were “a bitterness of spirit” to them (26:34-35, Heb.). Because of the partial love in this family, Esau hated Jacob and wanted to kill him. When Rebekah heard of this, she told Jacob to flee to her brother Laban and to stay with him until Esau’sang er had turned away. But Rebekah told Isaac another story (27:46). She seemed to be saying, “The wives of Esau have caused us so much bitterness of spirit that I could not bear to live if Jacob took such a wife. We should send him away to get a wife.” Rebekah told the same thing in two different ways. Every wise wife does this, telling one story in two ways. Like many wives today, Rebekah lied to Isaac by telling the truth. Her intention was to send Jacob away, protecting him from Esau, but she did not tell Isaac of this. Rather, she said that she was tired of her Gentile daughters-in-law and that she did not want Jacob to have such a wife, suggesting to Isaac that they send Jacob away to take a wife from their own race. According to her intention, this was a lie; according to her speaking, however, it was the truth. This caused suffering.
12一面以撒享受恩典，一面他也因著活在天然生命里而受苦。天然生命不会阻挠恩典，但会使我们受苦。天然生命不会减少恩典的分量，却会增加痛苦的分量。只要你有天然生命的一面，这就会使你受苦。你若不想受苦，就不该活在天然生命里。不要自作聪明，用你的智慧帮助神，或在天然生命里作甚么。这只会增加你的痛苦。我们最好不要活在天然的生命里。以撒虽然活在他天然的生命里，但神是主宰一切的。从某种意义说，天然生命帮助了神的主宰安排。神已豫定雅各得著长子的名分，并且有分于长子的祝福。利百加的抓夺使她自己受苦，但神的主宰却用牠来达成祂的目的。每件事都在神主宰的权下，为著达成祂的目的。因此我们都能说，『赞美主，不论我是好是坏，属灵或不属灵，神的目的终必达成。不论发生甚么事，我总是在恩典之下，也在恩典的享受之中。』没有一事能阻挠我们享受恩典。然而我们若要避免痛苦，就不该活在天然的生命里。
12While Isaac was enjoying grace, he was also suffering because of his living in the natural life. The natural life will not frustrate grace, but it will cause us to suffer. It will not decrease the amount of our grace, but it will increase our measure of suffering. As long as you have one aspect of your natural life, it will cause you to suffer. If you do not want to suffer, you should not live in the natural life. Do not practice your cleverness, exercise your wisdom to help God, or do anything in your natural life. This will only add to your suffering. It is better for us not to live in our natural life. Although Isaac lived in his natural life, God was sovereign over all. In a sense, the natural life helped God’s sovereignty. God had predestinated Jacob to have the birthright and to participate in the blessing of the firstborn. While Rebekah’ss up planting caused her to suffer, it was sovereignly used by God to fulfill His purpose. Everything was under God’s sovereignty for the accomplishment of His purpose. Therefore, we all can say, “Praise the Lord, whether I am good or bad, spiritual or unspiritual, God’s purpose is being fulfilled. No matter what happens, I am under grace and in the enjoyment of grace.” Nothing should frustrate us from the enjoyment of grace. Nevertheless, if we would avoid suffering, we should not live in the natural life
（五） 生命不很成熟
e. Not Having Much Maturity in Life
13以撒有一点生命的成熟，但没有很多。他虽然祝福，却是盲目的祝福。（创二七21～29。）他的祝福是按著自己天然的喜好。（创二七1～4。）他祝福时不但肉眼瞎，属灵的眼也瞎，因他被天然的喜好蒙蔽了。然而他的确因著信祝福。（来十一20。）他曾说他的魂要祝福，但至终不是他的魂祝福，乃是他的灵祝福。他的祝福也成了豫言。没有人能在魂里说豫言。我们若要说豫言，必须在灵里。所以以撒实在是因著信在灵里祝福。
13Isaac had some maturity in life, but not very much. Although he blessed, he blessed blindly (27:21-29). His blessing was according to his natural taste (27:1-4). He blessed blindly, not only physically but also spiritually, because he had been blinded by his natural taste. However, he did bless by faith (Heb. 11:20). He had said that his soul would bless, but eventually it was not his soul that blessed; it was his spirit that bestowed the blessing, and his blessing became a prophecy. No one can prophesy in the soul. If we would prophesy, we must be in our spirit. Thus, Isaac did bless in the spirit by faith.
14信心不是根据我们的所是，乃是根据我们的所见。甚么时候你要运用信心，你就不该看自己、自己的所是或环境。你必须看神所是的和祂所说的。然后你就能在神里，并在祂的话里，运用你的信心。以撒就是这样因著信祝福。按照他的光景，他不彀资格有信心。但他不考虑他的所是；他望断以及于神和神的应许，因著信在灵里祝福他的儿子。我们若要有信心，必须不看自己；因为我们若看自己，信心就会消失。要仰望神，看祂所说的话，然后单单说神已经说过的。这就是信心。以撒就是这样祝福他的儿子。
14Faith does not depend upon what we are; it depends upon what we see. Whenever you want to exercise faith, you should not look at yourself, at what you are, nor at your environment. You must look at what God is and to what He says. Then you will be able to exercise your faith in God and in His word. Isaac blessed by faith in this way. According to his situation, he was not qualified to have faith. But he did not consider what he was; he looked away to God and to God’s promise, blessing his son by faith and in the spirit. If we would have faith, we must look away from ourselves, for if we look at ourselves, faith will disappear. Look unto God and see what He has spoken in His word. Then simply utter what God has already spoken. This is faith. Isaac blessed his son in this way
（六） 日子满足，在信心里死去
f. Died in Faith at the Fullness of Days
15虽然圣经没有暗示以撒很属灵，但他并不是在悲惨的光景中死去。他日子满足，在信心里死去。（创三五28～。）这由他的儿子把他葬在麦比拉洞，与他的妻子利百加在一起，得到证明。（创四九30～32。）他未死之先必定嘱咐他的儿子，把他葬在麦比拉洞，就是亚伯拉罕和撒拉埋葬的地方。这证明以撒有亚伯拉罕的信心。
15Although there is no hint in the Bible that Isaac was very spiritual, he did not die in a miserable condition. He died in faith at the fullness of days (35:28-29). This is proved by the fact that his sons buried him, 29 along with his wife Rebekah, in the cave of Machpelah (49:30-32). Before he died, he must have charged his sons to bury him in the cave of Machpelah, where Abraham and Sarah were buried. This proves that Isaac had the faith of Abraham.